The subject invention relates to a fold and tumble seat support assembly for removably securing a vehicle seat to the floor of a vehicle.
Automotive vehicle rear seats often include a seat support assembly for removably supporting the seat to the floor of a vehicle. The seat support assemblies often also provide for pivoting of the seat between a use position for supporting an occupant on the seat and a forwardly pivoted position or tumbled position These seat support assemblies are often referred to as fold and tumble seat mechanisms. The seat back portion of the seat can fold onto the seat cushion and then the entire seat can tumble forward from the use position to the tumbled position These mechanisms provide an ingress/egress path for a passenger to or from behind the seat, and provide quick additional cargo room by folding tie seat back flat to the seat cushion prior to rotating or pivoting forwardly to the tumbled position.
One type of fold and tumble seat mechanism utilizes four floor strikers to attach the seat to the floor such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,238,285. The seat rotates forward, when the rear latch mechanisms are released from the two rear strikers, by pivoting on the front two strikers. Once the two rear latches are released, the seat rotates forward by an applied force supplied by a spring loaded leg which is attached to the seat mechanism base or riser at one end and acts against the floor at the other end. The leg end acting against the floor contains a wheel that rolls on the floor as the seat mechanism rotates forward. The rear latch areas of the mechanism may or may not be designed to tuck into the seat mechanism as the seat tilts forward. Once the seat rotates to its full forward position, the front two latches can be released to remove the seat from the vehicle. The seat back may or may not need to be folded flat to the seat cushion prior to intended seat removal. There is minimal, if any, under-seat storage intended due to the chosen design.
Another type of fold and tumble seat mechanism utilizes six floor strikers to attach the seat to the floor. There are two strikers for each front latch mechanism and one striker for each rear latch mechanism. The seat rotates forward, when the rear latch mechanisms are released from the two rear strikers, by pivoting on the front two latch legs of the seat mechanism which are latched to the front strikers. Once the two rear latches are released the seat rotates forward by an applied force supplied by a spring load between the front latch legs and the riser. The rear latch areas of the mechanism are designed to tuck into the seat mechanism by a link connected from the front latch leg to the rear latch leg, as the seat tilts forward. Once the seat rotates to its full forward position, the front two latches can be released to remove the seat from the vehicle. The seat back may or may not need to be folded flat to the seat cushion prior to intended seat removal. Again, there is minimal, if any, under-seat storage intended due to the chosen design.
There are several inadequacies of each of the aforementioned designs. Neither design provides any under-seat storage and when the seats are removed from the vehicle and placed on the ground, the latch mechanisms support the seat weight which could damage the mechanism or the surface its resting upon.
The first type of fold and tumble mechanism uses the roller leg to supply the load to rotate the seat. This makes the reinstallation of the seat to the vehicle more difficult for the customer. Additionally, the roller can create a wear pattern on the floor. Finally, debris on the floor can interfere with the intended function of the roller leg.
The second type of fold and tumble mechanism uses six strikers to mount the seat, which is an added cost to the vehicle. Latching and unlatching the seat from the front strikers is more difficult for the passenger because the front latch mechanisms hook on one of the front strikers and latch to the other. Additionally, visibility for performing this process is poor creating some of the difficulty.
A seat support assembly for removable securing a vehicle seat to a pair of front and rear strikers on the floor of a vehicle comprises a riser having a forward leg and a rearward leg for supporting the seat above the vehicle floor. A rear latch is pivotally coupled to the rearward leg of the riser for releasably securing the seat to the rear striker. A first linkage mechanism extends between the riser and the rear latch for moving the rear latch between a latched position for engaging the rear striker and an unlatched position for disengaging from the rear striker. A foot bracket is pivotally coupled to the forward leg of the riser for supporting the seat above the vehicle floor between a generally horizontal use position with the rear latch in the latched position and a tumbled position with the riser pivoted forwardly about the foot bracket with the rear latch in the unlatched position. A rear support leg is pivotally coupled to the rearward leg of the riser and pivotal between a support position for supporting the seat above the vehicle floor and stowed position retracted against the riser A front latch is pivotally coupled to the foot bracket for releasably securing the seat to the front strikers. Finally, a second linkage mechanism is coupled between the foot bracket and the rear support leg for automatically retracting the rear support leg from the support position to the stowed position, while the first linkage mechanism automatically pivots the rear latch from an extended position for movement between said latched and unlatched positions and a retracted position folded against the riser, in response to pivotal movement of the riser about the foot bracket from the use position to the tumbled position.